Scars

This week at HSM (our High School Ministry) we are in the middle of a series called “Scarred- Preparing for the hurt in life”. This is an incredibly simple, yet profound series that is helping students see their pain and helping htem deal with it in healthy ways.

I can honestly tell you I was not anticipating how much pain is in the lives of our students. From molestation and rape to hurt in life and to family issues to violence at home to peer pressure and feelings of being unwanted. The scars in our lives run deep.

And to be honest, I have no idea how to help people other then to point them to Jesus- and to give them a vocablary and space to tell their story to someone who will listen and care enough to stick around afterwards.

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Yesterday I had the opportunity to share a little bit about the pain and hurt in our students lives with a group of people at my church. I was thrilled and excited, and I was really desiring to see what kind of scars they carry around with them and how they have dealt with their scars.

I passed around cards that asked for their age and gender, and had two fill in the blank statements: “My scar is:___________________, and I deal with my scar:_______________________________”

However, before i could even begin unpacking why i was there, and the point i wanted to get across, I was hurried off of the podium, told that they “Didnt have a minute” to give for this subject.

I was shocked. and hurt, that more people dont care enough about the pain and hurt of others in hteir own church to take a few minutes and listen about a way to help.

Is this not what the church is for? Arent we supposed to be people caring for one-another? and doesn’t that include the teenagers, too?

After youth group, i had a conversation with a student and asked them what they thought about what had happened (because they were there)- and if they felt like the church actually cared about them. they said no, they didnt feel the church really cared- and I asked if that bothered them- and they said “Not really, cause I dont really care about the church either. This (Youth ministry) is really the only part of the church I care about.”

Friends, there is something wrong here. I keep looking at the situation and try to understand what has happened here that has made such a rift between the generations. Why people seemingly have a hard time caring about those that are hurt.

I keep coming back to a line Tim Young said- “The church is often incapable of healing people that are broken”.